Cold storage

Capacity – 1500 MT, 4 chamber (1 metric ton = 1000kg) MT shows this much quantity of sweet potatoes
can be stored in a year. Height 8.2m, 65m * 60m area.

1 chamber – 375 MT of sweet potatoes capacity.

Price- Rs 11700/Ton

Reduced 4.2 ton – 4200kg- 4.2 * 11700 = Rs 49140

Most storages adapted standards so no weight loss in major things , but some things like sweet
potatoes, cactus, flowers were exempted. Because it was not major thing in that area, it was designed
on type 1-4 items. Sweet potato comes under type-7.

There are standard data also, but if we apply then also some weight loss happens depending on outer
environment.

1) Performed As-Is analysis of operations of cold storage plant & conducted Literature review of food
industry.

Each room has 375 MT capacity

Total capacity = 1500 MT

WC = water Area of plant = 1 acre

closet, Display level of temp, humidity,
washroom ethaline and CO2 for each room.

Adiabatic humidification with

nozzles 10 micron droplet

Insulation of walls and floor by PUF

(polyurethane foam) insulation.
Below floor there is bitumen.

Mazzaine floor containg 4 floors

Crates:
fruits are Palate
kept in s
crates and
stored on
pallates
2 rooms on rent and 2 for storage of own procured sweet potatoes to sell in off season after 4 months
august (shravan shivaratri). 1 was containing 368 MT other was containing 359 MT. so total 727 MT (7,
27,000 kg) of sweet potatoes. I saved 0.57% of weight.

Power consumption = 70 units per hour. Price= 4.4 Rs/unit

One palate frame contains 1MT.and lighting is dark. https://youtu.be/QmnBjF8iuoU

Electronic weighing platform, carton strapping machine, manual trolleys

Components:

4 reciprocating compressors for 4 different rooms of (150 HP, 6 piston). Ammonia refrigerant.
Compressor send refrigerant to condenser at terrace which is water cooled.

2 Liquid Receivers after condenser of each 10000 L, 150psi, with level indicator and pressure guage.

From receiver pumps send liquid refrigerant to expansion valve where pressure decreases. Then it is
sent to evaporator coils.

Forced draft fans are put behind evaporator coils for rapid cooling. after evaporator it goes in
compressor.

Separate Humidification system pipes of SS, 12, 15, 25000 CFM (cubic feet per hour) where we can
control humidity level by electronic control.10 micron droplet size.

Operations:

Customer comes with weight slip and gives it to accountant. He puts entry and gives a rack and palate
number. They do deal about payment and time interval of storing.

So labour transports products from truck through loading area to rooms.

4 mezzanine floors contains different racks.

To identify different customer’s things palate number is given to customer where his products are
stored.

Rent = Rs 160/quintal (100kg) for 8 months (approx. 7270 * 160 = 11, 63,200 Rs/8months =
1,45,000/month), Agricultural products are exempted from GST.

Slip contains time and date of storing, net weight, rack and palate numbers, shipper’s name.

Manually transportation by labour.

No lighting during storage inside rooms. (It will add heat and growth to products)

3 technicians and one engineer.

Literature review: ethanol gas produced by vegetables is aging or ripening agent.so it must be
controlled. Either by reducing temp and humidity or using nitrogen gas. 0.1 ppm is thresholds for
ethylene. Apple and banana are highest producer.

CO2 level - 4000 PPM during loading and 2000 PPM during holding. Normal level for human comfort =
max 1000ppm.higher level requires to lower down oxygen content which leads to growth of products.
Some fruits like kiwi, grapes require 4-5 hrs of precooling and then stored.

2 to 6 air changes per day. (ACPH =air changes per hour).

Group 1 – apple, coconut – 0-2 C, 90-95% RH

Group 2 – kiwi, carrot – 0-2c, 95-100 % RH

Group 3 – garlic, onion – 0-2 C, 65-75% RH

Group 6 – mango, ginger, papaya – 13-15C, 85-90%RH

Group 7 – sweet potatoes – 12- 16 C, 85-90% RH

2) Carried out Thermal and hygrometric tests to measure the humidity level and temperature of the plant

Psychometric processes: Sensible cooling, heating, humidification, dehumidification and composition

of these.
To carryout analysis of effect of place and time on temp and humidity.
Thermal tests: to measure change in temperature and humidity of plant in day with respect to outside
temp. Measured humidity and temperature at different point of storage. And found that during
morning and evening temp is low and humidity is higher but during afternoon it is reverse due to
temperature change. Highest temp was recorded at 3 o clock when walls and ceiling releases its stored
heat even all things are insulated.
On the top of the floor is warmest place. And bottom is coolest place.
Relative humidity is higher in afternoon.
Hygrometric test: Used sling hygrometer to measure humidity and calculate relative humidity, DBT,
WBT.
So from table of DBT vs wet bulb depression we get relative humidity.
One thermometer is covered with wet cotton bulb. While rotating some water evaporates and some
remains in cotton due to relative humidity of air.so due to this difference in DBT and WBT we can
measure the relative humidity.
Cold storage applies cooling and humidification. Cooled air from evaporator fans enter in storage and
humidity is introduced in the form of cold spray by separate humidifier.

3) Obtained experimental data set to get optimum working conditions to minimize weight loss of food
items

When air enters a cold store, its moisture content drops as its temperature falls below dew
point and water condenses on to the cold surfaces, particularly the cooling coils in the
refrigeration system.
As the air circulates around the chill store it warms, reducing its relative humidity. The warmer
air draws moisture from any surface it can, including the produce itself. This leads to product
weight loss - as much as 20% - and cells become less turgid, affecting the appearance, quality
and shelf-life of the produce, all of which reduce the value of the stock.

In my college in psychometric lab there were 10 refrigeration units with humidifier.

So with 10 samples at different temperature and humidity for 5 days I put it there. And again10
samples for 5 days. Total 20 samples. (Each at 12, 13, 14, 15 * 85-90% RH = 20 conditions)
First day 12, 13 C and every humidity, second day remaining conditions.
13 C, 88% RH – least weight loss, less turgidness and less ripeness. (1kg, weight reduced 1.2
gram,)
12, 90%- least weight loss, but highest ripeness and swollen (by liquid)
15, 85% RH – worst case,
12- 13 up to 88 %RH it was increasing properties
But higher than 88%, it was ripening due to higher moisture.
Less than 13 C, more refrigeration was there, so turgidness and appearance was becoming dull.

So applied these conditions in plant and monitored it upto 16 days. Initially weight was
reducing (but very less), but after 4 days due to respiration rate and humidity balance, it was
stabilised. After 16 days. -> This is for one sample of 20 kg crate.
Actual weight loss I got after 2 month during delivery in September. Which was total 4.2 ton out
of 727 ton. (0.577% saving in weight) and saved Rs. 49,140.

4) Proposed the use of fork lifter to transport light weight components to minimize
material handling time
Some customers like shreeji chhole was a regular customer who was taking potatoes every week from his
storage. Like so many farmers and vegetable vendors also continuously taking from strage from rooms
which was given on rent.
So due to frequent transportation, manual labour time required to load and unload the truck, material
handling was difficult.

Proposed : Searched on justdial and contacted them, (india mart) voltas fork lift (walkie-stacker) - 1000-
1200 kg lifting capacity, electric disc brake, AC battery powered-24v 195 AH, 3.4 mph. 9lac , so it was
expensive so owner told to see another lift.

So found two second hand godrej diesel fork lifts worth 3.1 lac. 1 truck- 0.5 tonne sweet potatoes. max
Lift height 3m. Used 3 months from himmatnagar second hand vendor OM services.

In 2 days we got delivery of forklifts. First we bought 1 forklift to test.after satisfaction we bought
another forklifted from same vendor.

7 was permanent labour and they were calling extra 8 labour on monthly basis. Because demand is not
constant.

Labour: avg distance from dockyard to room- 27m. speed of labour= 1.2 m/s. time in moving =
27/1.2=23 s. time to take load from truck= 6 seconds, unload and put it in rack = 4sec, time to come
back = 17 sec. total time = 23 + 6+ 4 + 20 = 53 sec. for 50kg-one pack. So for 3 ton 500/50=10 turns
of labour.

For 0.5 ton of unloading 10 * 53= around 8.8 minutes for 5 labour. So 5 labour working parallel so exact
time to unload = 8.8/5 = 1.7 minutes. after some rounds labour speed decreases.

Forklifter : speed= 3.4 m/s, so time to move = 27/ 3.4 = 8 sec (in loaded condition) , loading time = 26
sec, unloading time 30 sec. turning time for at both places = 10 sec for each

So total time = 84 s= 1.4 min, only one fork lifter is used which was bought alone.

Saving in time = 1.7-1.4 = 0.3 min for 0.5 T load. = 20% saving in time by one fork lifter.

10% saving cost.

So we can say one fork lifter can do 5 labour work.

Eliminated 5 extra labour. So labour wage rate= Rs 230, for 5 labour = Rs 1150/day.

Diesel cost for forklift. - One double axle truck contains average 20T, it requires 40 turns. Because can
lift 0.5T weight.

So for avg 7 orders it requires 280 turns. Each 56 metre. Which costs = Rs. 1019.2 (other costs are very
negligible like maintenance etc.) so saving in cost by 10%. (Other handling costs has negligible change)